Ukraine has a temperate continental climate, meaning that the temperature generally ranges from 10°F 90°F. Winters are cool along the southern coast, but colder as you travel further inland. Summers are generally warm, with the hottest weather occurring in the south. The rainfall is uneven in the country with the west and north having the most rainfall and the east and southeast having the least. Below are two maps that show the average temperature of Ukraine in summer and winter (Geography of Ukraine, n.d.).
Ukraine is mostly made covered by fertile plains and plateaus. However, there are mountains in the western and southern regions of the country. The Carpathian Mountains are located in the western region. The Carpathians are approximately 1500 kilometers (932 miles) long and span across seven countries. Approximately 11% of the Carpathian Mountain range is located in Ukraine. Hoverla Mountain, which is part of the Carpathian Mountain range, stands at 2,061 meters (6,762 ft) and is the highest mountain in Ukraine. Another mountain range, the Crimean Mountains, is located in southern Ukraine. This range is located approximately five miles from the southern coast of Ukraine. It consists of three sub-ranges, with the highest being the Main Range, commonly known as 'Yaylas'. The highest peak of the Crimean Mountains is Roman-Kosh, which is 1,545 meters (5,069 ft) tall. Below is a map of the elevation of Ukraine, look in the west and south to find the Carpathian and Crimean Mountain ranges (Geography of Ukraine, n.d.).
Ukraine borders the Black Sea, located along the southern coast, and the Sea of Azov, located along the southeastern coast. These two sea's are the drainage basins for 90% of the rivers located in Ukraine. There are seven major rivers in Ukraine. These rivers are the Desna, Dnipro, Dnister, Danube, Prypiat, Siverian Donets, and Southern Buh (Ukraine: Streams and Rivers of Ukraine, n.d.). Below is a map that shows the major rivers of Ukraine. Can you find each of the seven?
Ukraine is known as a fertile place. Over 50% of the country is used for farmland. The most common agriculture products are grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, beef and milk. In addition to the items that are grown in Ukraine, there is a large amount of natural resources. These resources include iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, and timber (World Factbook, n.d.).
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Population Density
Approximately 55.3% of the land in Ukraine is used for farming. Leaving 44.7% available for cities or other needs(World Factbook, n.d.). That means that much of the population is dispersed. Below is a map that shows the population density of Ukraine. As you can see in the map, much of Ukraine has less than 129 people per square mile. Compare this to the United States which has approximately 87.4 people per square mile (USA quickfacts from the US Census Bureau, n.d.).
(World Factbook, n.d.)
Climate
Ukraine has a temperate continental climate, meaning that the temperature generally ranges from 10°F 90°F. Winters are cool along the southern coast, but colder as you travel further inland. Summers are generally warm, with the hottest weather occurring in the south. The rainfall is uneven in the country with the west and north having the most rainfall and the east and southeast having the least. Below are two maps that show the average temperature of Ukraine in summer and winter (Geography of Ukraine, n.d.).Summer Climate Map
Winter Climate Map
Landforms
Ukraine is mostly made covered by fertile plains and plateaus. However, there are mountains in the western and southern regions of the country. The Carpathian Mountains are located in the western region. The Carpathians are approximately 1500 kilometers (932 miles) long and span across seven countries. Approximately 11% of the Carpathian Mountain range is located in Ukraine. Hoverla Mountain, which is part of the Carpathian Mountain range, stands at 2,061 meters (6,762 ft) and is the highest mountain in Ukraine. Another mountain range, the Crimean Mountains, is located in southern Ukraine. This range is located approximately five miles from the southern coast of Ukraine. It consists of three sub-ranges, with the highest being the Main Range, commonly known as 'Yaylas'. The highest peak of the Crimean Mountains is Roman-Kosh, which is 1,545 meters (5,069 ft) tall. Below is a map of the elevation of Ukraine, look in the west and south to find the Carpathian and Crimean Mountain ranges (Geography of Ukraine, n.d.).Water Masses
Ukraine borders the Black Sea, located along the southern coast, and the Sea of Azov, located along the southeastern coast. These two sea's are the drainage basins for 90% of the rivers located in Ukraine. There are seven major rivers in Ukraine. These rivers are the Desna, Dnipro, Dnister, Danube, Prypiat, Siverian Donets, and Southern Buh (Ukraine: Streams and Rivers of Ukraine, n.d.). Below is a map that shows the major rivers of Ukraine. Can you find each of the seven?Agriculture and Natural Resources
Ukraine is known as a fertile place. Over 50% of the country is used for farmland. The most common agriculture products are grain, sugar beets, sunflower seeds, vegetables, beef and milk. In addition to the items that are grown in Ukraine, there is a large amount of natural resources. These resources include iron ore, coal, manganese, natural gas, oil, salt, sulfur, graphite, titanium, magnesium, kaolin, nickel, mercury, and timber (World Factbook, n.d.)..
Population Density
Approximately 55.3% of the land in Ukraine is used for farming. Leaving 44.7% available for cities or other needs(World Factbook, n.d.). That means that much of the population is dispersed. Below is a map that shows the population density of Ukraine. As you can see in the map, much of Ukraine has less than 129 people per square mile. Compare this to the United States which has approximately 87.4 people per square mile (USA quickfacts from the US Census Bureau, n.d.).Population Density Map
References
Geography of Ukraine. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Ukraine
Mapmaker interactive - National Geographic education. (n.d.). Teachers Homepage - National Geographic Education. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/mapping/interactive-map/
Prager, M. (n.d.). Melissa Prager ecotravel blog. Melissa Prager EcoTravel Blog. Retrieved December 9, 2011, from http://melissaprager.blogspot.com/2010/04/map-of-ukrainian-destinations_29.html
The world factbook. (n.d.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved December 01, 2012, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/up.html?guid=on
Ukraine: streams and rivers of the Ukraine. (n.d.). Travel in Ukraine. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from http://where.org.ua/ukraine.php?r=Streams-and-Rivers-of-the-Ukraine
USA quickfacts from the US census bureau. (n.d.). State and County QuickFacts. Retrieved December 7, 2011, from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html
Welcome to Ukraine. (n.d.). Welcome to Ukraine. Retrieved December 11, 2011, from http://www.ukraine.org/
Page Created by Jessica Bunnell ©
jcbunne@ilstu.edu
Created: November 28, 2011
Last Modified: December 11, 2011